Lung Health Awareness Month November 2017

This month, the Lung Foundation Australia is encouraging people to pay attention to their lungs with Lung Health Awareness Month. Plants and gardening are two ways that you can improve the health of your lungs.

Plants are great for your lungs. Their leaves absorb the carbon dioxide that you exhale and use it in photosynthesis to produce the oxygen that you breathe. It’s a wonderful symbiotic relationship. Furthermore, according to the NASA Clean Air Study, indoor plants can be used to filter toxic agents from the air (see below).

Click to enlarge

And that’s not all.

Photography by Luisa Brimble

The act of gardening gives your whole body – including your lungs – a workout. The below infographic compares the calories burned per hour of some common gardening activities. Although some of these activities are a little more common in Australia than others!

limit bending down: consider raised garden beds, or use a stool or kneeler. Long handled tools can also save you from bending down.

ground cover plants will reduce the need for weeding.

place chairs around the garden for regular breaks.

And remember: if you ever feel like your garden is a bit too much to manage, don’t be afraid to ask for help. Gardening is a wonderful pastime for bringing people together. Alternatively, get in touch with TGA to talk about our garden maintenance services carried out by qualified landscape professionals.

About Joanne Aquilina

Joanne has a passion for bringing together teams of experts to tailor-make therapeutic gardens that enrich the lives and wellbeing of people living with a range of conditions and disabilities.

About Us

Joanne has a passion for bringing together teams of experts to tailor-make therapeutic gardens that enrich the lives and wellbeing of people living with a range of conditions and disabilities. Read More…